Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of sites previously used to dump fly ash now used for house building on public health.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not undertaken any overarching assessment of the potential impact on public health from housebuilding on sites previously used to deposit fly ash.

Assessments of potential land contamination used for housing are governed at national level by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs under contaminated land legislation and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government under planning legislation. Local authorities assess land within their areas with respect to contaminated land, and Local Planning Authorities address legacy contamination through local plans and development management.

In England and Wales, local authorities are required to assess their areas to identify and remove unacceptable risks to public health and the environment, and act as a regulator to ensure that contaminated land is made suitable for its current use. Specific development sites brought into use for housing should be adequately risk-assessed, and any required remediation overseen, within the planning process.